Referring to FIG. 1, current Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) codes require multiple story buildings 100 to have a dedicated phone line 104 installed for communication from the elevator cab(s) 103 in case of emergency. The elevator cab must be equipped with an auto dialer unit 101 and elevator cab phone 102 to establish the call on the phone line 104.
The cost for the phone lines can be anywhere from 40 to 65 dollars per month. However, the phone lines 104 are not actively monitored and can be accidentally disconnected without notice. The phone lines 104 must be tested on a monthly basis to ensure the auto dialer 101 functionality is still working.
With the current technology, the monitoring center operators 107 rely solely on caller ID from the PBX 106 to identify the caller's location and account information. When an incoming emergency call is received, the operator 107 must enter the caller ID information (if available) into their automation system workstation 108 in order to retrieve the account information and more importantly the building address. In some instances, newer installations would have a playback device installed that will allow the operator in the monitoring center to press a digit to hear a pre-recorded message (detailing the sites information). Approximately 90 percent of existing elevator installations are active with traditional Auto Dialer 101 technology—no recorded message functionality. This call flow topology is very inefficient and is susceptible to human error when troubleshooting where the call is actually being generated.
What is needed is an emergency communication solution that is more efficient and less susceptible to human error than current solutions in the art. What is also needed is an emergency communication solution that improves the communication between the operator and the caller.